Infant&#39;s bathing device



June 4,1940. 5 B. HJKENNEDY' 2,203,222

- mmms BATHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1939 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BY fielyanwoflfl 1.21 212% /Mkm" ATTORNEY 5 June 4, 1940. a. H. KENNEDY 2,203,222

INFANTS BATHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2 ShetS-ShQet 2 \\\\\&

INVENTOR.

I fley'alninhlhennedy BY {id/ m- ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1940 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANTS BATHIN G DEVICE Benjamin H. Kennedy, Pittsford, N. Y.

8 Claims.

This invention relates to infants bathing devices preferably of the type which include a foldable bathtub and a collapsible support therefor, and the invention is more particularly directed to an improved support which is so constructed as to permit of the mounting and securement of the bathing device upon one of the walls of a stationary bathtub.

The invention comprehends in an infants bathing device of the indicated character, a support which includes a frame member at each end of the bathtub, which frame members carry at the lower ends thereof an element adapted to clampingly engage over the upper portion of the wall of a stationary bathtub so as to mount the device thereupon with the ends of the frame members disposed in impinging engagement against the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub and with the infants bathtub disposed above the stationary bathtub and in close proximity to the front wall thereof.

The invention further resides in a support for an infants bathtub which support includes a frame member at each end thereof and a normally contracted expansible means swinigaibly carried by the lower portions of said frame members for expanded impinging engagement over and with the opposite faces of a wall of a sta-- tionary bathtub for supporting the bathing deviceon the said wall of the stationary bathtub for swinging movement of the frame members from a nested inactive relation with the expansible means to an active angularly disposed relation with the lower ends of said frame members impinging against the inner face of the said wall.

More particularly the invention resides in an infants portable bathing device in which the support for the foldable bathtub includes frame 40 members at each end thereof with an inverted U-shaped element carried by the lower end portion of each of said frame members for clampingly engaging over a wall of a stationary bathtub and with brace members connecting the upper portions of each of saidelements with its respective frame member medially thereof for locking the frame members in angularly disposed impinging relation against the inner face of the said wall so that the bathing device is mounted on the wall of said stationary bathtub with the infants bathtub disposed above and in close proximity to the said wall.

The invention further includes latch means for securing the support and the stationary tub engaging means in collapsed nested relation.

Application October 25,

1939, Serial No. 301,138

With the foregoing and other objects in view. reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which'there is illustrated the preferred form of the inventhe same in position upon the wall of a stad tionary bathtub.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the bathing device in collapsed condition.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the infants bathing device illustrated is of the type which preferably includes a foldable tub A of flexible material, the opposite longitudinal upper edges of which tub are anchored to spaced parallel front and rear rails l0 and H of a collapsible supportvwhich consists of a frame member l2 at each end of the tub connected at their upper ends to the rear rail it and which define forwardly and downwardly inclined supporting legs.

The frame members or legs l2 have pivotally I connected thereto intermediate their ends an arm I 3 by means of pivot pins !4, the front rail l0 being connected to the upper ends thereof whereby the support may be collapsed and the tub folded from the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Suitable stay hinges I5 are provided for retaining the collapsible support in set-up condition and the tub in opened relation.

' In order to support the bathing device within a stationary bathtub B on a wall C thereof, normally contracted expansible means, designated generally by the reference character 16, is provided which includes a length of resilient wire bent upon itself to provide a pair of inverted U- shaped elements H, the opposite arms [8 and I9 of which are normally contracted to provide a constricted opening therebetween and which are resiliently expansible for expanded impinging engagement over and with the opposite faces of the wall C of the stationary bathtub. The outer arms [9 are preferably joined by a connecting portion 20 and which arms and connecting portion are preferably encased in ayieldable tubing such as rubber.

The free terminals 2| of the arms l8'0f the U-shaped elements I! are swingably connected with the lower portions of the frame members or legs l2 and, as illustrated, said terminals are pivoted to the lower extremities of resilient leaf springs 22 which are anchored as at 23 to the frame members or legs I2. This permits of the swinging and relative movement of the U-shaped elements I! from an inactive nested relation with the frame members or legs l2 as shown in Fig. 3, to an active angular relation thereto as showin in Figs. 1 and 2 with the lower ends of the frame members or legs l2 impinging against the inner surface of the stationary tub wall C, which ends of the legs are provided with resilient buffer elements 24.

In order to connect the frame members 12 with the inverted U-shaped elements ll adjacent the upper portions thereof so as to provide fulcrum points about which the frame members I 2 swing into impinging engagement of their lower ends with the inner face of the wall C, brace elements or straps 25 are each pivotally connected at one end as at 26 to the inverted U-shaped elements l1, while the opposite ends thereof have sliding and pivotal connections with the frame members or legs I? by means of bayonet slots 27 engaging with the pivots Hi, the offset portions 23 of the bayonet slots serving to lock the frame members H2 in forwardly and downwardly inclined position when the U- shaped elements are engaged over the stationary tub wall C. The frame members 52 are thus disposed so that the weight of the tub and its contents are exerted on the upper portions thereof to effect the swinging of the frame members about the pivots 14 as fulcrumvpoints to thereby impinge the lower ends thereof against the inner surface of the stationary tub wall C. The bathing device is thus mounted and retained in active position upon the said wall. The slotted brace straps 25 permit of relative swinging movement of the frame members I2 and the inverted U- shaped elements H from the angular active position for supporting the bathing device on the stationary tub wall tothe nested position with the legs between the U-shaped elements I! in intermediate relation to the arms 08 and 19 thereof whereby the folded tub and collapsed support may be maintained in a standing position on the floor or other supporting surface D when not in active use within the stationary bathtub. In order to retain the device in the collapsed condition for storage or shipment, keeper elements in the form of spring clips 29 are secured to the frame elements or legs l2 for clamping engagement with the inner arms l8 of the U-shaped elements ll.

What is claimed is:

1. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a frame member at each end of said tub, means engageable with a wall of a stationary bathtub to support the bathing device within the said stationary bathtub and on the said wall, and means of connection between the first named means and the lower portions of each of said frame members for movement of said frame members to dispose the lower ends thereof in impinging engagement with the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub.

2. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a frame member at each end of said tub, means engageable with a wall of a stationary bathtub to support the bathing device within the said stationary bathtub and on impinging engagement with the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub.

3. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a frame member at each end of said tub, normally contracted expansible means for expanded impinging engagement over and with the opposite faces of a wall of a stationary bathtub for supporting the bathing device within the stationary bathtub and on the said wall, and means of connection between the first named means and the lower portions of each of said frame members for swinging movement of said frame members from a nested inactive condition with said first named means to an active angularly disposed relation with the lower ends thereof impinging against the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub when supported thereon. j

4. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a frame member at each end of said tub, normally contracted expansible means for expanded impinging engagement over and with the opposite faces of a wall of a sta-v tionary bathtub for supporting the bathing device within the stationary bathtub and on the said wall, and means of connection between the first named means and the lower portions of each of said frame members for swinging movement of said frame members from a nested inactive condition with said first named means to an active angularly disposed relation with the lower ends thereof impinging against the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub when supported thereon, and brace elements carried by said first named means and adapted to latch i with said frame members for locking the frame members in said angularly disposed relation.

5. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a sup,- port therefor including a frame member at each end of said tub, means engageable with a wall of a stationary bathtub to support the bathing device within the said stationary bathtub and on the said wall, spring means connected at their upper ends to the lower portions of said frame meme bers respectively and pivotally connected at their opposite ends to said first named means for swinging movement of said frame members to dispose the lower ends thereof in impinging en-.

gagement with the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub, and brace elements carvice within the said stationary bathtub and on the said wall, spring means connected at their upper ends to the lower portions of said frame members respectively and pivotally connected at their opposite ends to said first named means for swinging movement of said frame members to dispose the lower ends thereof in impinging engagement with the inner face of the said wall of the stationary bathtub, and brace elements pivoted at their outer ends to said first named means respectively and each having a bayonet slot in the opposite end thereof for engagement with the said frame members respectively for locking the frame members in impinging engagement with the inner face of said wall.

7. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a depending forwardly inclined leg at each end of the tub, and means adapted to embracingly engage over a wall of a stationary bathtub, said means being anchored to the upper portion of each leg and having swinging connection with the lower portion thereof so that the Weight of the tub and its contents effect the impingement of the lower extremities of said legs with the inner surface of the stationary bathtub wall and the retention of said leg extremities in impinging engagement therewith.

8. In an infants bathing device, a tub, a support therefor including a depending forwardly inclined leg at each end of the tub, an inverted U-shaped element carried by the lower portion of each leg and having resilient swinging connection therewith, a brace strap pivotally connected with th upper end of each U-shaped element and each having pivotal and sliding connection with a leg of the support to support the bathing device within a stationary bathtub-with the U- shaped elements embracingly engaging over a wall thereof and the lower ends of the legsimpinged against-the inner surface of the said wall and retained in said impinging engagement by the weight of the tub and its contents, and keeper means on said legs adapted to engage with said U-shaped elements when the legs are disposed in a nested relation between said U-shaped elements.

BENJAMIN H. KENNEDY. 

